The art of surface mount technologies for some semiconductor packages, is developing at a rapid pace. For instance, the following set of continuation-in-part and divisional patents describes one such developing lineage. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,239 to Yoneda, et al., entitled “Device Having Resin Package with Projection” (Yoneda '239) claims, among other things, a device having a chip, a resin package sealing the chip, metallic films, and connecting parts. The resin package has resin projections that are located on a mount-side surface of the resin package. The resin projections have surfaces that are parallel to the mount-side surface of the resin package. The metallic films are formed on the entire surfaces of the resin projections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,770 to Tetaka, et al., entitled “Method and Apparatus for Fabricating Semiconductor Device,” (Tetaka '770) claims a method of fabricating the semiconductor device of Yoneda '239. Tetaka '770 is a continuation-in-part of Yoneda '239.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,711 to Kawahara, et al., entitled “Semiconductor Device and Mounting Structure,” (Kawahara '711) claims a semiconductor device that has a semiconductor element, a resin package sealing the semiconductor element, resin projections, metallic film parts, connecting members, and connection pads. Each of the metallic film parts has a single point that makes contact with a circuit board. Kawahara '711 is a continuation-in-part of Yoneda '239.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,921 to Yoneda, et al., entitled “Semiconductor Device, Method for Fabricating the Semiconductor device, Leadframe and Method for Producing the Leadframe” (Yoneda '921) claims a semiconductor device that has a semiconductor element, a resin package sealing the semiconductor element, resin projections, metallic film portions, and connecting members. The resin projections protrude downward from a mounting surface of the resin package. Yoneda '921 is a continuation-in-part of Yoneda '239.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,573,121 to Yoneda, et al., entitled “Semiconductor Device, Method for Fabricating the Semiconductor Device, Leadframe and Method for Producing the Leadframe,” (Yoneda '121) claims a method of producing a lead frame used to fabricate the semiconductor device of Yoneda '921. Yoneda '121 is a division of Yoneda '921.
However, this patent family lineage describes fabricating semiconductors by using numerous processing steps. Moreover, the packages produced by the patents mentioned above have certain limitations in the art.
Furthermore, current trends in integrated circuit packaging require a greater number of leads or solder bumps in a smaller and thinner form factor. To that end, the applicants have developed IC packaging technology relating to plating desired areas onto a metal substrate thereby forming several plated areas that serve as contacts, leads, die attach pads, or the like in Co Pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/688,602. However, as IC developers produce ICs having a larger number of input/outputs (I/O), a greater number of contacts is required in the corresponding IC package. As the density of the contacts, or leads, are increased, what results is less robust IC packages. In some instances, the plated contacts or other structures peel away from the finished IC package. Such peeling is exacerbated by requirements of more thin packages that in turn require more thin plating.